USA Mundane Forecast
for the four weeks beginning DECEMBER 10, 2018If you are unfamiliar with the methods and interpretations of Sidereal mundane astrology, please see my free book Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link to the current edition can be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) For standard interpretations, see Chapter 8 of the current (15th) Edition.

LONG-TERM (Solar Ingress) PATTERNS
The 12 months beginning January 15, 2018 are unstable, revolutionary, revising, remapping, anti-establishment, and often anti-government. Here are the highlights from the Capsolar (most of which have been manifesting all year exactly as written in January):

Foreground SUN-VENUS-URANUS: Changes in foreign relations are a certainty. Shifting social values, including increased liberty in Venus matters. "Culture wars" kick up more intensely. The voice of rebellion is concentrated on those in the highest office.

MOON conjoins MERCURY & SATURN. Expect economic narrowing and backtracking on the recovery: recession is not unthinkable. Capsolars had close Moon-Saturn aspects in 1819, 1837, and 2008, which should concern students of American money crises. Its record for violent inhumanity is heart-stopping. Climate destabilization will escalate faster in 2018 than in previous years, with tragic, life-smashing consequences.

Mercury + Saturn. Restrictions, delays, failures, & calamity in transportation & communication. Communication fails for technical reasons & because people stop listening to each other. Information flow is interrupted & rationed. Data integrity is increasingly doubted; cybersecurity is a greater priority than cyber-expansion. Commerce is interrupted: More newspapers go out of business, more small businesses close their doors.

Moon-Mercury: The media remains much of the story.

Moon-Saturn: Hardship, narrowing, sacrifice, loss, sadness, with few causes for celebration. Bereavement, deprivation, disappointment, destructive assaults by people & nature; other hardship centers primarily on alienation and divisiveness. It will be a good year for undertakers.

Libsolar
This ingress, overlaying mid-October to mid-January, is volatile, combative, and confrontational. Angular Pluto brings many of the year's themes to a head. Moon conjoins Mars within half a degree for Washington: This is outright bloody (in parts of the world, literally spilling blood and counting bodies); yet the conjunction closely squares Mercury, so the "bloodying" we see will be especially with words and disclosures from data streams, documents, and the press and other publications. A close Mercury-Uranus PVP opposition signals discoveries and revelations. These start spilling forth at an accelerated pace through the last half of October and into early November and the elections.

A late hurricane season will impact the Gulf. Saturn is on IC near New Orleans and through the Mississippi Valley where the worst effects will land. Neptune (in the west) and Pluto (in the east) are the only other two planets crossing large swaths of continental U.S., so local climate and cultural crises can be expected. Most worrisome is Pluto on IC along the coast from North Carolina to New York City, while squaring Ascendant in New England. The eastern seaboard, therefore, is as vulnerable to severe autumn storms blowing off the Atlantic as is the Gulf.

MEDIUM-TERM PATTERNS (The Bridge)

All month is a PLUTO Zone. This reiterates and concentrates Pluto elements in the Capsolar interpretation above, continuing to bring primary themes of the year to a head for several weeks.

Much of the month, though, is far more severe and treacherous. December 22-29 joins Mars and Saturn with Pluto. December 30 to January 1 continues with just SATURN-PLUTO, then Mars joins again January 6 and continuing into the next astrological month. Saturn's involvement is that progressed Cansolar Moon squares Saturn.

Mars, though, identifies the worst (most severe, assailing, conflictual, and likely deadly) in this Saturn-Pluto time. From December 22-29, Mars transits Cansolar angles.Within this, December 26-29 Mars also transits Cansolar Moon. This combination of Mars simultaneously transiting a solar ingress Moon AND angle have coincided in the past with history-rocking assassinations and deadly, fiery explosives, the convergence of the two amplifying the severity. That this occurs under a Moon-Saturn progression and under a Pluto transit makes it historically, singularly intense, with an element of overthrowing or downfall.

SHORT-TERM (Lunar Ingress) PATTERNS

Caplunar (Dec 10)

12-10 CapLun.jpg

The Caplunar covers December 10 to January 6, especially the first week, December 10-17. It's primary feature is a partile Saturn-Uranus mundane square with Saturn 2°38' from Ascendant and Uranus 1°52' from IC. From this aspect we always expect bubble-bursting forced confrontation with harsh reality. Most mundane manifestations of this aspect center in loss + explosion or their psychological equivalents. These will be the hallmarks of this uncertain, disruptive month.

In theory, we expect tension of opposing factions and wide swings between opposites (e.g., freedom vs. restriction, liberality vs. conservatism, a struggle between forces of change and the status quo), with political and practical gridlock until one side gains dominance. We should watch for these to expand our knowledge of the aspect; but the most likely events are the ones described above.

Something harsh, startling, disillusioning, and destabilizing is likely to hit the populace. Moon, closely conjunct Eastpoint, is in mundane aspect to a Venus-Pluto square, anticipating much more than partisan divisiveness, e.g., tensions concerning our relationships with specific foreign powers. Most often, Venus-Pluto pairings mark final, heart-breaking loss, especially the severing of emotional ties to people and places.

Mercury has mundane aspects with Mars (0°03') and Neptune (1°14') that do not exist ecliptically, meaning they are geographically bound to the capital. Besides transportation-themed difficulties, these are consistent with confusing, disequilibrating occurrences such as bomb explosions.

Saturn rises along the entire eastern coastline, with Saturn-Uranus converging at the coast of North Carolina. Here and nearby will be acutely vulnerable, as will be southern Florida and Boston. Three malefics intersect in Minnesota promising unusual hardship.

Saturn crosses CapQ IC 12/12 and squares its Ascendant the next day, when it also begins to square CanQ Moon, which crosses CapQ Ascendant 12/15. These concentrate the worst of the week.

Arilunar (Dec 17)

12-17 AriLun.jpg

The Arilunar covers December 17-24. Uranus sets the tone for the week: It squares Ascendant (1°53') and conjoins Moon (1°15' in mundo).

With Uranus leading, we expect explosion, either literal or metaphorical. Sudden rupture or eruption, shock, surprise, explosiveness, and overflowing normal boundaries and limitations are its unique contributions. Many of these events involve disclosures and revelations.

These core themes generalize through several types of destructive events, including bombs and other literal explosions, mining disasters, vehicular collisions, earthquakes, floods, and building collapses. Uranus events more actively caused by people include surprise attacks, changes in foreign relationships, and changes in leadership.

Keep an eye on western Kansas and nearby areas. Mars scars the entire California coast, so expect fires (even this late in the season) and comparable destructive acts,

No important CapQ crossings occur this week.

Canlunar (Dec 24)

12-24 CanLun.jpg

The Canlunar covers December 24-30. The chart is primarily dominated by a single planet, Venus rising in Libra. Two other factors have minor input: Sun is in PVP square to Venus, reinforcing its importance, and Moon opposes Pluto widely (3°56' in mundo).

Since this chart forms on Christmas Eve, and before a week of traditional holiday observances, the easiest prediction is that people are truly happy and social right now, taking opportunities to celebrate. Expect more of an old fashion Christmas with warm wishes and hopes for peace on Earth and good will toward all.

Regardless of time of year, Venus brings peace, love, and other causes for celebration. She directs attention to relationships between nations, our connections to allies and enemies.

The one lump of coal in the chart is that background, wide Moon-Pluto opposition. It suggests events of unusual intensity that set us back on our heels a bit. Given the orb and the broader trend, I don't expect a major event from it. Nonetheless, as we approach those years when Moon-Pluto aspects will appear in every lunar ingress, we should anticipate something stark and confrontive to push its way through the holiday cheer and insist we put our attention on something real and serious.

Pluto concentrates most strongly on Christmas Eve, or a day either side.

Liblunar (Dec 30)

12-30 LibLun.jpg

The Liblunar covers December 30 to January 6. After a pleasant Christmas week, New Year's Eve greets us with treachery and harshness. Mars rises (1°45') with Neptune a few degrees above the same angle. Moon opposes Uranus worldwide (3°37').

First, then, we know that as this Christmas season was probably unusually gay, this New Year's Eve will center around a harder push at over-doing things, with rumbles and ruckuses, more auto accidents, and a bit of danger.

Mars foreground instills a general air of crisis or assault, and appears for a wide range of hurtful events. These can include fires, quakes, other rages of nature, and violent explosions and accidents. High profile deaths by inflammatory illness or violence, significant military and police activity, and actions causing great violence and damage. Notice that the Mars line passes through the center of New Jersey, close to both New York City and Philadelphia, sites of concentrated, high visibility New Year celebrations.

Neptune draws out some of the worst sides of this, filtering Mars' surging adrenaline through the distorting and amplifying filters of heightened emotion. A typical response is panic or over-response in general. Mars + Neptune brings increasing risk of treachery, sabotage, other betrayal, poisoned relationships, and scandal.

Filtering Moon's opposition to Uranus through this Mars (or Mars-Neptune) adds the startling or surprise quality of psychological bombshells. For example, we might expect surprise attacks intended to blindside their target.

The progressed Saturn-MC conjunction has marked his first two years as president with ever-increasing threats to his status: This continues through mid-March. So far, progressed Venus trine natal Uranus has primarily manifested (allowing that there may be private matters about which we have no knowledge) as unfaithfulness to more or less everyone around him. His favor does not signify protection or security. He shifts alliance and allegiance quickly, even whimsically. He demonstrates little loyalty to anyone.

Progressed Saturn is currently 0°01' from semi-square his Uranus, amplifying the negative cast of this Venus-Uranus. To borrow a short list of traits from Ebertin: willfulness and stubbornness in relationships, inconstancy, moodiness, an urge to break away and sever bonds, and psychological strain from having to restrain his instincts. Progressed Venus and Saturn to his Uranus, in summary, leaves him with little stability in his relationships and increasingly unsatisfied wants and blocked instincts.

TRANSITS
Transits to Trump's nativity and Solar Return are of great interest this month. They show much negativity coming to a head. In addition to minor Jupiter and Saturn transits interwoven all month (some good, some bad, some juggling), six very significant aspects (mostly transits) converge to portray crisis and loss.

t Saturn op. r Mercury Dec 16-27

SQ Mercury op. SSR Saturn Dec 24 to Jun 15

t Pluto op. SQ Moon Dec 16 to Apr 18

SQ Moon op. SSR Pluto Dec 29 to Feb 17

t Saturn conj. SSR Ascendant Dec 16 to Jan 1

t Saturn op. SSR Moon Dec 24 to Jan 10

Transiting Saturn opposite natal Mercury (exact on 12/18) is just the start of persistent Mercury-Saturn themes from now until Trump's next birthday: His current Sidereal Solar Return (SSR) has a foreground Mercury-Saturn opposition, and progressed (SQ) Mercury enters a 1° orb of that opposition 12/24. Mercury-Saturn is known for dreadful states of mind, especially from feeling unheard, criticized, and discouraged. Though great for detailed mental labor and organizing data, it otherwise means that mental, communication, and commercial matters do poorly in the absence of thoroughness and care. Most people don't listen to him with a friendly ear. One new hurdle after another makes things difficult for the next six months.

Two Pluto aspects with progressed SSR Moon begin 12/16. These mark late December and early 2019 with crisis, emotional confrontation, shifts in relationships and domestic conditions, rebellion, losses (or at least separations) and especially the need to break free of other people's control. At root we see the world's demand for authenticity interacting with Trumps malleable, adaptive, psychological survival instincts.

Then, transiting Saturn conjoins SSR Ascendant and opposes SSR Moon, overlapping December 24 to January 1. Thus, the time immediately surrounding Christmas concentrates great severity and poses grave danger to him. Since Bridge aspects, documented above, show similar severity for the nation December 26-29, these days come with double-layered warnings.

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Dec 7)

SLR 12-7.jpg

At first impression, the chart looks like relief. After all, who doesn't like a Lunar Return with angular Jupiter? On closer inspection, though, it is more challenging.

Transiting Jupiter (2°40' above Dsc) is in partile mundane square with natal Pluto (3°36' west of IC). This defining aspect of the SLR signifies gain from separation. Specifically, one acquires or frees up resources (whether wealth, energy, or time) from one's separation from someone or something. It is an aspect of blesséd liberation.

Otherwise, Jupiter-Pluto often is an aspect of legal conflict. As United States president, Trump has plenty of opportunity for this, though from an aspect this close and powerfully placed we expect a comparably major event. Legal entanglement (as a route to disentanglement?) is further suggested by the powerful 7th house, which holds two luminaries and two other planets.

Mercury is the most angular planet, stationary and 1°37' from Descendant. It conjoins Jupiter (they are only 4° apart in mundo, their midpoint 0°32' from the horizon), a further suggestion of diplomatic or other legal engagement. Mercury squares natal Mars (0°26') so the engagement is contentious or competitive.

A barely foreground Sun (9° above Descendant) squares a 0°11' non-angular Mars-Neptune conjunction. The conjunction is close enough to demand attention even without angularity. As it squares a foreground Sun, surely the president will feel as if others are out to humiliate him. (They likely will succeed.)

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Dec 21)

DemiSLR 12-21.jpg

These two weeks overlap severe transits to President Trump's nativity and, especially, his Solar Return. SQ Moon opposes transiting and solar Pluto. Transiting Saturn crosses SSR Ascendant and opposes SSR Moon and natal Mercury. These concentrate around December 24 to January 1, right in the middle of this Demi-Lunar's term.

Therefore, barring remarkably positive indications, we cannot consider the Demi-Lunar a "good" chart; and, while we do have positive indications, they are compromised.

Tipping the tone to the combative, Moon squares Mars (1°08') in the middleground. It signifies strife, conflict, being attacked. Moon-Mars cries to the heavens, "Why won't they leave me alone?!" -- It may also mean health problems, though this is least likely when in the middleground. This attack is more direct and boisterous. Especially with the SLR above, we can't rule out that someone will cause him actual physical harm.

All of this matches the background partile aspects. Saturn opposes his Mercury (0°21'). Mars squares natal Sun (0°36'). People don't believe him, don't listen to him, derogate him, and even try to take things forcibly away from him.

Other Mars elements are borderline foreground: Transiting Mars and natal Uranus, each about 9° from an angle, are in 0°27' mundane square. This suggests surprise attacks, yet also surprise response. Combat feels like guerilla warfare: Attacks and responses can come from anywhere, out of the blue.

All of which finally winds to the most angular, most prominent features - those with which we normally would start our analysis. Mercury, Jupiter, and Neptune are all closest to the angles (Neptune 0°06', Mercury 0°49', Jupiter 1°24'). Each aspects the others (mostly partile). Normally, such a combination would be considered benign (unreasonably optimistic at worst). This time, other astrological layers do not let us tip things that way. A further deepening of the malevolent tone is signaled by the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction being atop Antares, a star known to be something of a super-Mars.

Mercury, Jupiter, and Neptune together seem too impractical to deal with truly challenging times. They can be idealistic and hopeful, but not practical. The idea of what is so matters more than the fact of what is so.

It strikes me as especially a combination of "wheelin' & dealin'," of conniving toward the best deal and trying to pull the wool over others' eyes and get away with it or, perhaps, being the swindle's patsy. There is a majestic mastery of illusion and image: Consider the horoscopes of Bette Page and Aaron Spelling. Additionally, Mercury-Jupiter is particularly common for legal matters, especially if courts are involved.

SIDEREAL LUNAR RETURN (Jan 3)

SLR 1-3.jpg

Natal Moon-Sun-Uranus aligns with the meridian, Sun and Uranus on MC and Moon on IC. The President feels very much himself: We get "quintessential Trump," and it brings the usual bag of surprises and maybe a touch of genius. With Moon mere minutes from IC, he feels the affairs of this month powerfully, their impressions swarming him.

Whereas natal planets are tightly angular, foreground transiting planets are farther from the angles. They represent threats, but their intensity is not yet so great. This SLR occurs the day the new Congress convenes and the Democrat-dominated House of Representatives will still be organizing and setting plans in motion. While the intensity is not great, the tone is clear: Mercury and Mars (6° and 8° from angles) are 2° from square each other, so his environment is filled with verbal attack and strategic planning against him. Neptune's midpoint with Mars is only 0°14' from the horizon, a further indication of toxic conditions and perhaps insidious plotting. Neptune also is in close PVP square with natal and transiting Moon, so there is anxiety and inflation of his response as he feels his vulnerabilities more naked and exposed.

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Geographic areas centered on map lines have a roughly 150-200 mile leeway (3°) for strong effects. For these mappings of planetary energies, see standard interpretations in Chapter 8 of Sidereal Mundane Astrology. (A link to the free current edition can always be found near the top of the Publications sub-forum.) Readers may wish to consider all planet lines and intersections against the standard interpretations.

This section provides the raw components from which forecasts are drawn, to give a quick visual overview and make it easier to see when lunar ingresses echo patterns already stated within operative solar ingresses.

Transits to Capsolar planets seem valid when interpreted as inherently, these would not be locale-specific. Preliminary conclusions from the first months of watching is that they are indeed important identifiers for locales where the 'natal' planet was angular in the Capsolar, or where it spins to a CapQ angle on a particular day.

This has been true all year, of course; but perhaps nothing makes it more true than Time Magazine's announcement that Jamal Khashoggi and other journalists were it's "Person of the Year" this year. This honor is given by the person or people who, in the magazine's judgement, had the single biggest impact on the news during the year.

This year the media has remained much of the story.

PS - This gives me an idea for a project someone might want to take up. Since Time's "person of the year" is whoever they think most impacted the entire year's news, the history of these awards might be compared to the Capsolars every year for the last few decades to see whether the story they pick is at least one of the primary themes in that year's Capsolar.

This will be a really interesting month to watch if the chart sets up (or even relocates to) Palm Beach. By the most conventional means of assessment, it is much better than for Washington. Mars' transit to natal Uranus leaves the foreground and becomes a non-factor. Jupiter (and secondarily the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction) is unquestionably the strongest factor and seems quite protective or advantageous.

But then we get a new twist, exploring the newly discovered PVP aspects (and with orbs similar to those of aspects in SLRs instead of the narrower orbs used in ingresses), we find that Saturn is 0°04' from the Vertex (which means nothing by itself) conjunct Sun 3°31' on one side and Pluto 3°34' on the other - 0°02' from their midpoint. These are devastating aspects for a head of state! Saturn is even in (very wide) PVP square to Neptune. If these were ecliptical or mundoscope aspects, we'd instantly pick this as the end, finito, pack your bags.

Here is my original forecast for this Demi-SLR (originally done for Washington), ignoring the PVP aspects for the moment, but otherwise tweaking for Palm Beach. I've made the few changes obvious.

SIDEREAL DEMI-LUNAR RETURN (Dec 21)
These two weeks overlap severe transits to President Trump's nativity and, especially, his Solar Return. SQ Moon opposes transiting and solar Pluto. Transiting Saturn crosses SSR Ascendant and opposes SSR Moon and natal Mercury. These concentrate around December 24 to January 1, right in the middle of this Demi-Lunar's term.

Therefore, barring remarkably positive indications, we cannot consider the Demi-Lunar a "good" chart; and, while we do have positive indications, they are compromised.

Tipping the tone to the combative, Moon squares Mars (0°07' in mundo) in the middleground. It signifies strife, conflict, being attacked. Moon-Mars cries to the heavens, "Why won't they leave me alone?!" -- It may also mean health problems, though this is least likely when in the middleground. This attack is more direct and boisterous. Especially with the SLR above, we can't rule out that someone will cause him actual physical harm.

All of this matches the background partile aspects. Saturn opposes his Mercury (0°21'). Mars squares natal Sun (0°36'). People don't believe him, don't listen to him, derogate him, and even try to take things forcibly away from him. Other Mars elements are borderline foreground: Transiting Mars and natal Uranus, each about 9° from an angle, are in 0°27' mundane square. This suggests surprise attacks, yet also surprise response. Combat feels like guerilla warfare: Attacks and responses can come from anywhere, out of the blue.

All of which finally winds to the most angular, most prominent features - those with which we normally would start our analysis. Mercury, Jupiter, and Neptune are all closest to the angles (Neptune 0°06', Mercury 0°49', Jupiter 1°24')(Jupiter 1°28', Mercury 2°02', Neptune 4°46'). Each aspects the others (mostlywith Mercury-Jupiter partile). Normally, such a combination would be considered benign (unreasonably optimistic at worst). This time, other astrological layers do not let us tip things that way. A further deepening of the malevolent tone is signaled by the Mercury-Jupiter conjunction being atop Antares, a star known to be something of a super-Mars.

Mercury, Jupiter, and Neptune together seem too impractical to deal with truly challenging times. They can be idealistic and hopeful, diplomatic and persuasive, but not practical. The idea of what is so matters more than the fact of what is so.

It strikes me as especially a combination of "wheelin' & dealin'," of conniving toward the best deal and trying to pull the wool over others' eyes and get away with it or, perhaps, being the swindle's patsy. There is a majestic mastery of illusion and image: Consider the horoscopes of Bette Page and Aaron Spelling. Additionally, Mercury-Jupiter is particularly common for legal matters, especially if courts are involved.

I just reworked (above) the December 21 Demi-SLR interpretation for Palm Beach, in case we need it. It will be a most fascinating fortnight to watch for several reasons, some of which include this chart. Here is the link to the reworking and discussion.viewtopic.php?f=46&t=2730&p=20426#p20426

There aren't enough differences to warrant a whole new interpretation, but here are some notes.

Natal Moon is no longer the closest planet to an angle; it's natal Uranus. Though he will still "feel the affairs of this month powerfully, their impressions swarming him," it isn't the main feature. Rather, it is that he surprises us again, acts "out of bounds", his freedom needs (which, for him, are freedom of expression needs) unleashed. He is not so much "quintessential Trump" with natal Sun farther from MC, but this is tipped more to "being his own person, acting as an individual" with natal Uranus.

Mars is no longer foreground, but it does still closely square the foreground Mercury. The "verbal attack and strategic planning against him" will be there, and will intensify when he returns to Washington. Ma/Ne midpoint is no longer angular, so that toxicity and "insidious plotting" element is gone - at least until he returns to Washington. Neptune no longer is PVP square Moon, so the sense of vulnerability and exposure isn't there (until he returns to Washington).

So what we get is primarily natal Uranus angular, dominating the whole trip. We also get a transiting Pluto PVP square to that Uranus, which shows some significant shifts and departures and plays up the "shake-up" factor.

Arilunar (Dec 17)
The Arilunar covers December 17-24. Uranus sets the tone for the week: It squares Ascendant (1°53') and conjoins Moon (1°15' in mundo).

With Uranus leading, we expect explosion, either literal or metaphorical. Sudden rupture or eruption, shock, surprise, explosiveness, and overflowing normal boundaries and limitations are its unique contributions. Many of these events involve disclosures and revelations.

These core themes generalize through several types of destructive events, including bombs and other literal explosions, mining disasters, vehicular collisions, earthquakes, floods, and building collapses. Uranus events more actively caused by people include surprise attacks, changes in foreign relationships, and changes in leadership.

Keep an eye on western Kansas and nearby areas. Mars scars the entire California coast, so expect fires (even this late in the season) and comparable destructive acts.